To Come Out or Not to Come Out: Minority Religious Identity Self-Disclosure in the United States Workplace

Abstract

Situated in communication privacy management (CPM) theory, this study found that anticipated risk was the strongest predictor of minority religious identity disclosure at work. Older workers who regarded non-Christian belief or non-belief as central to who they were and who worked in smaller organizations disclosed their identity more than other participants. The follow-up analyses also revealed that the degree of disclosure varied by ethnicity, geographic region, religion, job rank, and membership in the organization’s dominant religion. Religious accommodation policy and religious centrality were associated with increased anticipation of benefits, which in turn was linked to increased disclosure. Finally, sense of belonging was associated with increased anticipation of benefits and decreased anticipation of risks, which also indirectly impacted disclosure. This study added more depth to CPM privacy rules and provided a broader understanding of minority religious identity disclosure at work. Recommendations for creating a religiously inclusive workplace and directions for future studies are provided.